First Visit to Manila.

Sunset over the Pasig River.

I've almost never heard anything good about Manila. In fact, many years ago I used to work with someone who went there for three days, but paid to come back early after one night, because she hated it so much. Short of discovering you had ended up in a war zone, I can't imagine why anyone would do that. Could a city really be so bad? I had often wondered and it seemed there was only one way to find out.

So Peter and I decided to book a few days in Manila. It's not our first trip to The Philippines. We have been to Puerto Galera on Oriental Mindoro and Cebu Island many years ago. Both were very enjoyable and relaxing trips. Actually, on our first trip here we landed in Manila and our transfer driver drove us through the city, but I don't remember the city at all.

I did make my usual mistake of doing a bit of research and all the negativity I came across really freaked me out. I thought: "How am I going to cope with such a dangerous, traffic ridden city on my own?" Peter can't traipse around with me any more. For him a holiday is a good hotel with a lovely pool. I was getting myself into such a worried state before departure that Peter was getting really angry with me. Anyway, on the sixteenth of January, it was finally time to go.

We flew out to Manila on Cathay Pacific. From Hong Kong the flight is less than two hours long. At Hong Kong Airport I took some photos of the artificial waterfall.

Artificial waterfall.

Artificial waterfall.

The flight was ok. I had insisted we pre-booked a transfer to our first hotel. Peter wanted to get a Grab, which would have been cheaper and I would have done that if I had been more familiar with the destination. Anyway our transfer driver was very good. He had already contacted us before we even landed and we were able to work out exactly where to find each other and when. The drive through Manila indicated that the information online about terrible traffic was probably true.

Cloud picture.

Cloud picture.

Landing in Manila.

Landing in Manila.

Landing in Manila.

Our first hotel was The Novotel at Acqua Suites in Mandaluyong. It's across the Pasig River from Makati City, which is one of the more modern areas of Manila.

Terrible traffic.

Train on the LRT line.

Long queues for a bus.

At the hotel we were taken to the twenty-first floor for check in. From the window I could see a beautiful sunset over the Pasig River. There was a rather large teddy bear on one of the reception chairs.

Sunset over the Pasig River.

Looking towards Makati.

Sunset over the river.

Relaxed looking teddy.

We were given a room on the seventeenth floor. It was very nice and comfortable. It had a safe, a fridge and a microwave. I unpacked and we settled in.

Peter in the room.

Peter in the room.

There was also a beautiful view over the river from our room.

The Pasig River from the room after the sun went down.

That evening we went to the sixth floor of the hotel. This is where the pool is. We had a look at the pool and could have gone swimming as it stayed open until ten pm, but we decided just to swim the next day.

Play area for kids in the hotel.

The pool at night.

The pool at night.

The pool at night.

The pool at night.

We ate in the hotel restaurant. I had chicken and pork adobo and Peter had chicken strips with fries. I chose chicken and pork adobo because it is the signature dish of The Philippines. Adobo dishes are marinated in vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Actually it was very tasty.

Peter with a beer.

Hotel Restaurant.

Us in the restaurant.

My chicken and pork adobo.

Chicken strips and fries.

After dinner we just went up to our room to relax. I read that Manila means the place where indigo is found. It's called this from the kinds of plants that were once in abundance here. That certainly sounded beautiful. So far I had actually been fairly happy with Manila, but what would the next day bring when I ventured out alone?

Well it's fine to say that a city is pleasant and enjoyable when you stay inside the comfort of your own four walls. Today would help me know the truth. I was going to venture outside. When I looked out of the window, I saw it was a beautiful sunny day.

River view in the morning.

looking across the Pasig River.

Looking over Mandaluyong.

Looking over Mandaluyong.

Before I could go anywhere, we were going to have breakfast and a swim. I found my breakfast ok, not great, but ok. Peter didn't like his, especially the coffee, and complained after it that he had an upset stomach.

We went down to the pool and had a very enjoyable swim. The water was coolish, but the outside temperature was hot. We swam for a while then sat in the sun. I think Peter may have liked to stay there longer, but he knew I wanted to go out exploring and we both thought it was probably best that I got back before it got dark.

Peter at the pool.

Peter in the pool.

Peter in the pool.

Us in the pool.

Flowers by the pool.

Flowers by the pool.

The first thing I investigated when I went out was that there was a sign in the lift saying there was a patisserie and convenience store on the ground floor. I couldn't see one, so I asked the security guard. He pointed me in a direction away from the entrance and I discovered there were some shops and a fast food restaurant in this area.

There was also a pet groomers. This hotel was very pet friendly (get mummy to take you, Mack.) I saw several dogs getting into or out of the lift and one went to sit beside the pool. There was a pet walking zone on the waterfront and a pet cube (no I don't know what that is either) on one of the floors. I don't think I have ever stayed in a pet friendly hotel before.

Anyway the shop that interested me most was the Watson's convenience store. I could get us water, beer, snacks and even ready made convenience food. I bought some things for Peter and headed back to the room to offload them before venturing out again.

When I came back down, fortunately I made a mistake. One of the things I wanted to do was to cross over the river to Makati. There are two bridges that can be walked across. I thought I had to walk along the edge of a busy road to get to the bridge and when I got on the bridge itself there would be a pavement, but by going the wrong way I actually exited through Acqua Suites Residential Building rather than the Novotel entrance. I think this is perfectly acceptable for hotel guests. I found myself already on the bridge without having to walk in the road. So far so good.

Street art on the way to the bridge.

Street art on the way to the bridge.

Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge.

View from the bridge.

Our hotel viewed from the bridge.

At the end of the bridge I had to come down a set of stairs which took me onto a walkway along the edge of the Pasig River. This is a little park area with seats and it's reasonably pleasant. I had read about being surrounded by beggars and continuously hassled, but in this area at least noone was paying a blind bit of attention to me, which I was very happy about.

At the end of the walkway I discovered there was no longer a pavement and I did have to walk in the road. However, the distance I had to do this for was really short so it wasn't a problem.

After a couple of minutes, I arrived at another little park by the water. It was filled with secondary school children. I didn't take a photo of it but the park claimed to have an aviary. This turned out to be a large cage filled with pigeons.

In the park across from the museum.

To get to the first sight I wanted to see I had to cross the road. There was a zebra crossing, which I had read, don't work here. Some advice I had seen online said wait for a crowd of locals to build up and cross with them. I looked around. I was alone and the road wasn't that bad. Tentatively I stepped out onto the zebra. Cars slowed and motorbikes aimed to go around me. I crossed the road without incident. Phew!!!

On the other side of the road I saw The Makati Ng Museum which I had come across when I looked up things to do near our hotel, but before I talk about the museum, let me say something about Makati itself. Nowadays Makati is known as a very modern business and financial centre, but it actually has a long history and, in among the new skyscrapers and modern buildings, there are pockets of old Makati. The history of Makati extends back before the Spanish occupation of the Philippines. When Spanish missionaries did eventually arrive here, they established two churches: The Church of Saint Peter and Paul and The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Long before it was known as a financial centre, Makati was famous for pottery and brick making.

Houses in Makati.

Houses in Makati.

House in Makati.

Colourful house in Macati.

The Makati Ng Museum is a small museum, mainly about Makati itself, but with a couple of exhibitions thrown in. It's free. It's definitely not worth going out of your way for, but if you are in the area it's worth a look. The museum building itself is very nice, the staff are extremely friendly and the museum is free entry.

The building the museum is housed in dates back to 1918. At one time it was actually used as the seat of local government before it became a museum in 1990.

The Makati Ng Museum.

The Makati Ng Museum.

Fountain outside the museum.

Buildings outside the museum.

Art outside the museum.

Inside the museum.

Exhibit about pottery making in the museum.

I wandered around, took some photos of the building and of the exhibits and, because there were no signs to stop me, even accidentally visited the storage area on the top floor.

Art in the museum.

Art in the museum.

Art in the museum.

Photo in the museum.

Photo in the museum.

When I came back down from there, I found a member of staff looking up at me curiously. He probably thought I was mad. I said: " What a lovely museum! Do you know how I can get to Saint Peter and Paul's Church?" This was also on my to do list. The staff member nodded and said he would show me. Before I left, I was asked to fill out a survey about the museum. I gave it quite a good score, mainly because the staff were lovely. Then the member of staff I had been talking to, took me out of the museum, walked me to the correct road for the church and indicated exactly how to get there. He was really nice and now I had no chance of getting lost. The route I went was very direct and easy and nothing like the route Google told me to take.

Saint Peter and Paul's Church dates back to 1620 and is considered to be the mother church of Makati. It contains an image of the Virgin de la Rosa which was brought here from Mexico in 1718. This image is highly venerated as it is said to contain a relic of the Virgin Mary's hair.

Saint Peter and Paul's Church.

Inside The Saint Peter and Paul's Church.

The Virgin de la Rosa in The Saint Peter and Paul's Church.

Statue inside The Saint Peter and Paul's Church.

It was difficult to get a good photo of the church altar as there were workmen repairing something on it.

Altar in The Saint Peter and Paul's Church.

The Virgin de la Rosa on the altar.

There were also lots of statues outside the church.

Saint Peter and Paul's Church.

Virgin Mary.

Madonna and child.

Statue outside the church.

At the back of the church there was a model of The Black Nazarene. I visited the 'real' version of this statue the next day, so I will just put one photo of it here and write about it later.

The Black Nazarene.

Directly opposite the church is The Plaza Cristo Rey, which was once the site of the San Pedro de Macati Cemetery. Nowadays it's a pretty square with a statue of Christ.

The Plaza Christo Rey.

One thing I noticed as I was wandering around was that there were still lots of Christmas things around. When I was researching Manila, I heard someone say that Christmas is so popular in The Philippines that decorations are kept up for much of the year.

Nativity scene.

There's lots more in Makati, such as lots of hotels, as well as museums, restaurants and bars. I didn't explore any of these though. I started to make my way back to the bridge as there were a couple of things I wanted to look at on the Mandaluyong side of the river. One child came up to me and asked me for money as I got near the bridge. He didn't even look poor. I gave him a look that sent him scampering away.

On the Mandaluyong side of the river I had a very quick look at one of the central streets.

Mandaluyong.

School children.

Then headed down to the river and explored the riverfront walkway which I thought would be a park, but it was actually filled with roosters. I'm not sure why.

Rooster.

Rooster.

Rooster.

Rooster.

Waterfront walkway.

Fisherman on the waterfront walkway.

Further on there was a little shelter that seemed to be used by school children as a site to practise dancing or musical instruments. There always seemed to be something going on here.

Dancing and singing by the waterfront.

There were lots of pretty houses on the waterfront. While a lot of Mandaluyong looked run down, the waterfront was actually pretty pleasant.

House and transport.

Attractive house.

Jeepney and laundrette.

Houses by the river.

Lots of vehicles, typical of The Philippines, passed up and down the road. These included jeepneys and tricycles.

Tricycle.

Tricycles.

Jeepney in Makati.

Jeepney.

Jeepney.

Jeepney.

I noticed there was a small boat that travelled back and forth between Mandaluyong and Makati constantly.

Boat that crosses back and forth between Mandaluyong and Makati.

I had a look in another church which we looked out on from our room. This was called The Church of Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados de Mandaluyong, which means The Virgin of the Abandoned of Mandaluyong City. I was able to have a wander around inside. From our room we could often hear the bells of this church tolling.

The Church of the abandoned.

Madonna and child.

Christ crucified.

Painting of The Virgin Mary.

The Virgin Mary statue.

Stained glass window in the Church of the Abandoned.

Collection box for the poor.

Virgin Mary.

I also wandered into the station of the Pasig River Ferry. I intended to use it the next day to visit the real Church of the Black Nazarene, but more about that in the next blog.

Pasig River Ferry.

Pasig River Ferry passing The Church of the Abandoned.

The sky was getting darker and darker, not because it was particularly late, but because it looked like it might rain. I headed home.

Peter's stomach still wasn't good so we didn't go to a restaurant to eat. Instead we ate stuff from the convenience store. I was pleased that they had ready made meals I could put into the microwave. I never eat this kind of food, but it proved to be very valuable on this trip.

My first venture into the outside world had turned out to be very enjoyable and I was feeling much more positive towards Manila.

The Black Nazarene in Saint Peter and Paul's Church.

Before we came to Manila, I was looking at things to do here and I was quite interested in visiting Quiapo Church which houses a much revered statue of Christ, known as The Black Nazarene. Two days before our holiday we had two friends, Joan and Michael, round to dinner. They arrived in Hong Kong at the same time as us twenty-nine years ago, but now live in The Isle of Man. We told them we were going to Manila and asked them if they had been there. Michael, who is Catholic, said they had gone there specifically to see the statue of The Black Nazarene. This made me feel I should make the effort to go and see it, too.

Peter and Joan.

Peter, Joan and Michael.

I had come across a free boat service called the Pasig River Ferry when I was researching things near our hotel, so I decided to take this to Quinta Ferry Station which is just a few minutes walk away from Quiapo Church. Organizing my days now is a bit of a balancing act. I want to go out and look at things, but I also want to be around to take Peter swimming. Sometimes it's difficult to fit both in.

When I went to the ferry station, I was told the next ferry would leave in one and a half hours time. This long wait seemed such a waste of time that I just returned to the hotel. Peter insisted that I shouldn't give up on my plans and told me to go to the church by Grab. I wasn't entirely comfortable about taking a Grab on my own to an area I had never been to before, but I decided I might as well do it.

I booked a Grab and headed downstairs. My car was arriving just as I got to the hotel door. Despite my misgivings, I felt very safe on the ride as I received written details about the driver and notifications that my journey was being tracked and updates on where I was and the estimated arrival times. My overall opinion so far is Grabs are very good here. Just make sure you have access to data to be able to book one.

Many of the areas we travelled through on the journey were pretty run down. Manila is a very unequal city. There are very wealthy people here, but many, many, very, very poor people, too. Lots of developed, modern, rich areas are next to huge urban slums where people live in shanty towns in very bad circumstances.

Some of the areas we went through had extremely poor quality roads. I was starting to feel a bit travel sick at times. At one point the road ahead of us was closed and the driver had to find an alternative route. Eventually after about fifty minutes we arrived at the church. It was certainly a bit of an adventure getting there.

I've referred to this church as Quiapo Church, but its full name is The Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno. The first church on this site was made of bamboo and leaves. It was built by the Spanish Order of Friars Minor and was destroyed in 1574. In 1588 the Spanish built a new church here, dedicated to The Sweetest Name of Jesus and John the Baptist. This church burnt down in 1603 and a new one was built in 1639. Subsequent new churches also suffered fires and earthquakes. The present church dates from 1935. It is situated in front of a large square filled with people selling things. There's a very busy market in one of the lanes facing the church. I read that this area is well-known for pickpockets and beggars. I didn't find it too bad, though I was asked for money a couple of times.

Quiapo Church.

Quiapo Church.

I was there.

So what exactly is The Black Nazarene Statue? Well, it's a lifesize statue of Jesus, carrying a large wooden cross on his shoulder. He is clothed in a maroon coloured robe and has a crown of thorns on his head. He has dropped to his knees as he is being taken away to be crucified. This statue was carved by an unknown Mexican sculptor around 1606 and was taken to Manila from Acapulco, Mexico by the first group of Augustinian Recollect Friars to go there.

Most religious statues in The Philippines have a light skin colour, but this statue is dark and there are several theories as to why this is. One theory is that there was a fire on the ship that brought The Black Nazarene to The Philippines and the statue's face was charred. Another theory is that the smoke from votive candles and the balm that is rubbed into the statue's face by devotees have darkened it. A third theory is that the statue is simply made of a dark coloured wood. Whatever the reason, many Filipinos feel more affinity with this darker skinned statue than the more common lighter skinned ones. This statue has survived two fires, two earthquakes and the bombings of World War II.

Filipino Catholics believe the statue has magical healing powers and that if they touch it, it will cure them of disease or miraculously answer their prayers. The Feast Day of The Black Nazarene takes place on the 9th of January. As the statue is carried around, barefoot worshippers clamber to touch it, or rub it with a cloth to obtain some of its healing power. I have read that this belief in obtaining power by rubbing or touching an inanimate object actually comes from earlier Filipino religious beliefs, before they adopted Catholicism.

As I approached the church, I noticed The Black Nazarene statue in a glass case outside the building, people were touching the glass and praying. I did this, too as I have a few prayers I'd like answered as well.

Touching The Black Nazarene.

Nazareno. Jesus's healing hands.

I then entered the church. It was incredibly busy. I had deliberately not gone here on the Friday, because it is supposed to be absolutely heaving on Fridays, but even on a Saturday it was packed with worshippers and this was when there wasn't even a service going on.

A very busy church.

A very busy church.

There were hundreds of people sitting looking towards the altar of the church and praying. I realized on the altar there was another Statue of The Black Nazarene. I had also encountered one in the church I visited yesterday. I was getting very confused about which statue was the real one.

The Black Nazarene.

The Black Nazarene.

I didn't realize it at the time, but I fear I made a mistake at this point. There were lots of seated people on both sides of the church The central aisle was totally empty, so I walked down it and took a photo of the statue. I later read that devotees crawl barefoot down this aisle to show devotion and respect towards The Black Nazarene. It's probably disrespectful to walk straight down there. Oops!

Inside Quiapo Church.

Inside Quiapo Church.

Inside Quiapo Church.

Inside Quiapo Church.

Touching Jesus's foot.

Inside Quiapo Church.

I tried to work out when I got home why there were so many Black Nazarene statues. I discovered that the statue on the altar in Quiapo Church has the head and cross of the original sculpture. The body is part of the image that is taken out on procession. I'm not sure, but I'm guessing that's the one in the glass case outside the church. The hands of the original statue are in the possession of the rector of Quiapo Church and he uses them to bless and heal people. The statue I saw in Saint Peter and Paul's Church is a replica and so is the one I saw later in San Agustin Church.

After visiting the church, I walked across the church square and into the market that's supposedly notorious for pickpocketing. I wasn't worried as I had my minimal amount of valuables in a neck purse round my neck and down my underwear - but that may be too much information.

In the square in front of the church.

In the square in front of the church.

On the busy square in front of the church.

The market was very crowded, but it was also very colourful and interesting. I saw but didn't photograph one of the delicacies of the Philippines. STOP READING NOW CATHERINE - balut - an egg with an embryo growing inside it. This is something I wasn't tempted to try. There were also lots of colourful fruit and vegetable stalls, fish stalls and stalls selling lots of other goods.

Entrance to the market

Vegetable stalls.

Mango stall.

Delivery.

Street market near Quiapo Church, Manila, Philippines.

Vegetable stalls.

Corn stalls.

Bananas.

Busy tricycle.

Lemons.

Hot food.

Vegetable stalls.

Vegetable stalls.

Fish stalls.

Fish stalls.

Vegetable stalls.

At the end of this street was a large fish market. It may have been interesting, but I didn't go in. In fact I think there were several interesting things in this area, but I was concentrating on finding the Quinta Station of the Pasig Ferry. Fortunately, there was a sign pointing to it shortly after the fish market.

Fish Market.

Another interesting building in the area.

Jolibee - The most popular fast food store here.

Quinta Ferry Terminal.

Cat in the ferry terminal.

When I went into the ferry terminal, I was told the next ferry was full, but I could register to get on the one after it. I agreed to this. So, as I said before, this ferry is free. It travels up and down the Pasig River about once an hour. You get on the ferry on a first come first serve basis. To get on you must show identification - a photo of your passport will do. I must have looked determined to get on the next ferry because the attendant took me to seat one right next to the door and assured me I'd be first on. I was.

I'm glad I did the ferry journey, as it was interesting. I would not exactly say it was comfortable. It was a bit squashy and everyone had to wear life jackets which made it rather warm too.

On the boat.

Me on the boat.

The journey back to Hulo Station, next to my hotel, took forty minutes. We passed lots of houses next to the water hidden away behind walls covered with paintings. There was a little church and quite a bit of industry.

Painted walls.

Colourful building.

Church.

Colourful walls and houses.

Colourful walls and buildings.

Passing a ferry station.

Impressive building.

Old and new.

We sailed under lots of different styles of bridges.

Bridge.

Bridge.

Ayala Bridge.

We passed several boats, including other Pasig Ferry Service ones.

Boats.

Boats.

Passing boat.

These were lots of beautiful reflections in the water.

Reflections in the water.

Reflections in the water.

My favourite thing though was all the mangroves floating down on the water, some of which had water birds sitting on top of them.

Waterbird floating past on mangroves.

Mangroves drifting past.

Mangroves drifting past.

Mangroves drifting past.

I was taking lots of pictures, but the window was quite dirty, so I tried to open it further to get a better shot. I didn't know that the Filipino man behind me was resting his elbow on the window and I hurt him when I moved it. I apologized when I realised what I'd done, but this turned out to be good as it got us talking and he told me stuff I needed to know on the voyage. His English was very good. For example, at one point one of the crew shouted out something and came to stand in the middle of the boat and keep an eye on everyone. The man I had injured explained that we were about to pass Malacañang Palace - the residence and workplace of the Filipino President. It's illegal to take any photos as you pass by, which is a shame as it's a beautiful building. It was ironic that I was the only person taking photos on the trip and the only one who didn't understand the instruction. Everyone else was a local. As well as the no photos rule, the boat passes the palace really slowly to make minimum noise and not disturb the president. There's a lot of respect shown here.

Once we were past the palace, I could start taking photos again. Back in Mandaluyong I made it in plenty of time for a very pleasant swim with Peter.

Heading off for a swim.

Images of The Christ Child.

On Sunday 17th January we were moving to a new hotel. That meant it should have been an easygoing, no sightseeing, sort of a day. On moving days we usually: eat breakfast, swim in the hotel we are leaving, finish off packing, take a Grab to our new accommodation, swim in the new hotel, then eat dinner there.

We had been getting up quite early, but on this day, we decided to sleep a bit later until 8am. However, before seven in the morning we were woken up by very, very loud drumming. Manila is a very noisy city, but this seemed excessive even for here. I staggered out of bed and looked out of the window. Peter asked me what was going on. I told him there was a big crowd of people next to the church. I said: "It's probably a wedding or something." I went back to bed, expecting the noise to eventually calm down a bit. It didn't. I got up again. Even from the distance I could see some little kids bouncing up and down with excitement. The drumming was as loud as ever. The number of people seemed to be increasing. I gave up any hope of getting any more sleep and went outside to find out what was going on. I was certainly glad I did. It was amazing.

Drummers.

Drummers.

Drummers.

Drummers.

Drummers.

Ok, I have to admit that at the time I thought I was watching a Saint's Day Parade, but when I investigated further after getting back home, I found out it was much much more. It was, in fact, The Feast Day of Santo Niño.

Santo Niño is Spanish for the Christ Child (yes, the same word as in El Niño weather effects). In 1521 Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, financed by the Spanish King Charles I, set foot on the shores of Cebu Island, where he worked on converting the native population to Catholicism. When Queen Juana, wife of the Rajah of Cebu, agreed to be baptised, he gave her a baptismal gift - a twelve inch high statue of Christ as a child. In the statue The Christ Child was wearing a golden crown and a beautiful long ornate cloak.

Not long after this, Magellan was killed in a confrontation with a tribal leader called Lapulapu (more about him in a later blog, when I visit his statue). Following the death of Magellan, the Spanish left 'The Philippines' (They weren't called that then). However, a little over forty years later in 1565, more Spanish explorers came to The Philippines. This time they were led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. He didn't bother trying to convert the local population, he just attacked them, burning and pillaging their villages. Then, amidst the ruins and devastation, a box was found undamaged. Inside it, was the statue of The Christ Child given to Queen Juana by Magellan. The Franciscan Friars, who were with Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, declared the survival of the statue a miracle and built a church on the place it was found. This church is known as The Basílica Menor del Santo Niño in Cebu.

Every year, on the third Sunday in January, Filipinos in every part of The Philippines, and even in overseas countries, celebrate the introduction of Catholicism into the Philippines on The Feast Day of Santo Niño. During this celebration, Catholics are encouraged to parade their own images of Santo Niño, The Christ Child, through the streets before bringing them to the church for a blessing.

When I arrived at the throngs of people, who were assembled outside the church, they had already begun their procession. Many people in the procession and in amongst the spectators were holding up images of Santo Niño or images of The Virgin Mary.

Images in the parade.

Images in the parade.

Carrying The Christ Child.

Carrying The Christ Child.

Image of The Christ Child.

Image of The Christ Child.

Carrying The Christ Child on her head.

There were people dressed in traditional costumes. Many people were dancing. Apparently, when Queen Juana received the image of Santo Niño, she was so pleased, she burst spontaneously into a dance. This dance is copied right up to the present day.

Dancers in costume.

Dancers in costume.

Dancers in costume.

Happy, smiling faces.

School children in costume.

Colourful costumes.

Passing parade.

Dancers in costume.

Dancers in costume.

Dancers in costume.

Dancers in costume.

Dancers in costume.

The parade passes by.

Some people in the parade were dressed up like kings and queens. I assume they were supposed to be Queen Juana and her husband, Rajah Datu Humabon.

I guess these two represent the king and queen in Cebu receiving Christianity.

King and Queen.

Passing queen.

Lots of tricycles get involved in the procession, too. Most of these had images of Santo Niño or The Virgin Mary, or both positioned on their roof.

Tricycles in the parade.

Tricycles in the parade.

Transporting their Christ Child.

Tricycles in the parade.

Tricycles in the parade.

Tricycles in the parade.

Tricycles in the parade.

Other ways of transporting The Christ Child included by truck, by motorbike or by placing the images on a float and then pulling it.

Transporting The Christ Child on a float.

Transporting The Christ Child.

Passing float.

Transporting The Christ Child by lorry.

Mandaluyong is not a very touristy area. As far as I could see the spectators at this event were all locals apart from me and one western male. At one point a group of young boys, armed with water pistols, squirted water at the other tourist. They didn't soak him, it was done more in fun. Then they turned their attention towards me, but they didn't squirt me with water. It would probably be disrespectful to soak an old lady!!!

One woman in the parade waved at me and called out a greeting. I waved back and this caused everyone passing by to start waving at me and greeting me. It was quite funny. The parade had a really joyful atmosphere. One thing that can definitely be said about Filipinos is that they know how to have a good time.

Smiling faces.

Happiness.

What a little cutie.

In silent prayer.

I watched the parade for quite a while before I remembered that I should have been having breakfast with Peter and I returned to the hotel. This had been a wonderful experience.I felt really privileged to have attended.

Later after breakfast we had our final swim in The Novotel and enjoyed a drink while sitting by the beautiful pool.

Peter enjoying his final swim at The Novotel.

Me in the pool.

Enjoying a drink by the pool.

Enjoying a drink by the pool.

Enjoying a drink by the pool.

Peter with the giant teddy at checkout. Hope Ben doesn't get jealous.

I was both sorry to be leaving, but also excited at the thought of our next hotel, as it was the most famous one in Manila.

The Manila Hotel.

After checking out of The Novotel at Acqua Suites, we took a Grab to The Manila Hotel. This time we travelled on the opposite side of the Pasig River from the side I went on to go to Quiapo Church. Most of this area was much more modern. It had lots of high-rises and looked pretty much like Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur.

The traffic wasn't too bad until we got near the Manila Hotel. The worst part was actually getting up the hotel driveway. It was completely choked up with cars. When we finally got out of the car, there was a long queue to go through security to get inside the hotel.

I was trying to manage a rucksack, a case, a handbag and help Peter stand up, because he cannot stand for long periods and the queue was doing him no favours at all. I was starting to wonder why on Earth I had ever wanted to stay here, but when I got through security, a bell boy took over my case and rucksack and another one took Peter away to sit down while I checked in.

There was no queue at all at the check-in desk. I later found out that all the cars outside and the throngs of people coming in were because there were two weddings and a high school prom going on, not because the hotel had masses of overnight guests. Apparently this hotel is always heaving at weekends. If we had arrived on a weekday, it wouldn't have been so bad.

We had paid extra to have access to the club lounge on the fifteenth floor of the hotel. I was told a member of staff would take me there. The member of staff was a lady in a long green dress. This is the rather elegant female staff uniform here. The next day it was the same style dress in a slightly different colour. All the bell boys wear a smart white uniform. This hotel has a very large number of staff.

Elegant female staff uniform.

Bell boys.

I told the lady that I had to find my husband before going to the fifteenth floor and that a bell boy had taken him away. We went to look for him and he was sitting contentedly near the bell boys' station. Together we walked across the hotel lobby. It was very busy and very ornate. There were five massive ceiling chandeliers. Apparently there used to be three, but when the current Chinese Filipino owner took over, the first thing he did was bring in a fung shui expert who insisted there needed to be five chandeliers for good luck.

The hotel lobby.

The hotel lobby.

At the end of the lobby there were musicians playing a grand piano, double bass and violins. Crowds of people in elaborate outfits were wandering around everywhere. I was finding it all a bit overwhelming.

Musicians.

Musicians.

When we got to the fifteenth floor though, everything was calm. We were checked in, given the keys to room 1512 and told we were welcome to enjoy afternoon tea which was currently being served.

Fifteenth floor lounge.

Orchids in the lounge.

I really liked our room. It had old fashioned dark furniture. It was clean and comfortable. As a welcome gift we had been given a plate of fruit, a bar of chocolate shaped like The Manila Hotel and pralines. The plate the chocolates were served on had 'mabuhay' written on it in chocolate. This is a Filipino greeting meaning 'long life.'

Our room.

Our room.

Manila Hotel shaped chocolate bar.

Later we found out the cleaning staff here had a sense of humour. On our second day we came back to the room to find a towel elephant on the bed wearing Peter's glasses. There was also a note wishing us a lovely stay. Eddie quickly befriended the elephant; he likes a nice towel elephant, even a shortsighted one.

Elephant with glasses.

Eddie and the elephant.

Peter, Eddie and the elephant.

There were great views from our room over Intramuros, the old Spanish colonial part of the city. I could see some of the places I wanted to visit the next day.

View from the room.

Overlooking the Baluarte de San Diego.

Closer look.

Overlooking Saint Agustin's Church.

Overlooking Saint Agustin's Church.

Overlooking a museum in Rizal Park.

Overlooking the golf course.

We headed off to afternoon tea. It was absolutely lovely. There were a variety of sandwiches, cream cakes, chocolate cakes and scones with cream and jam. The coffee was really good. It had been awful in our previous hotel. This was much better than the chaos downstairs. We noticed that we were being attended to by a large number of staff. We weren't expecting quite so much personal attention. I could tell we would enjoy a very happy and comfortable stay on this floor.

Afternoon tea.

Sandwiches for afternoon tea.

Scones and cakes.

Shortcake.

Chocolate cake.

Peter at afternoon tea.

A stay in The Manila Hotel was one of the reasons we decided to come to Manila. It's a historical hotel and I love these. We usually just look around them rather than staying in them, but we could afford this one, even though it was a bit pricey.

So let me tell you a bit about The Manila Hotel. It opened its doors to the public for the first time on the fourth of July 1919. The original hotel was five stories high and shaped like a letter H with two well-ventilated wings and a central area. The top floor originally had a viewing deck and function rooms. This hotel was the first five star hotel in The Philippines and was once the most luxurious hotel in Manila.

This hotel has links to the American army. When he became Military Advisor to The Philippine Army, American General, Douglas Macarthur, occupied the whole of the fifth floor of The Manila Hotel together with his wife and son. Nowadays the Macarthur suite is still available here if you are willing to pay for it.

During World War II, the Japanese Army took over The Manila Hotel and made it their headquarters in The Philippines. When the Japanese fled during the liberation of Manila, they set the hotel on fire before they left. After the war, the hotel had to be reconstructed from the ruins. This was done at considerable expense. Much more money was spent on the rebuilding than had been on the original hotel and the work was carried out at great speed.

Then between 1975 and 1977 a new tower was added onto the hotel, giving it many more rooms and making it the tallest building in the Manila Bay area. It was this new tower we were staying in.

The Manila Hotel has always been frequented by the famous and indeed infamous. Imelda Marcos, of thousands of shoes fame, was a frequent visitor to the hotel and even helped design some of the rooms. She celebrated her seventieth birthday here in 1999. (Just as an aside, there is a Shoe Museum in Manila and it houses some of Imelda Marcos's shoes. I didn't visit it this time.) Other famous people who have stayed here include: Prince Charles, now King Charles III of Great Britain, Ernest Hemingway, John Wayne, Sammy Davis Junior, Michael Jackson, The Beatles, President Richard Nixon and President Bill Clinton and many many more.

A young Imelda Marcos.

The Manila Hotel has several restaurants, bars and function rooms. It has a small art gallery and a Heritage Museum.

Function rooms.

Art gallery.

Art gallery.

Enough about the hotel, now back to our stay. After our afternoon tea, we headed down to the pool on the ground floor. It's a really nice pool with both deep and shallow ends. There's a bar located in the pool.

Swimming pool and hotel.

Swimming pool and bar.

Peter in the pool.

Peter in the pool.

Flowers by the pool.

Behind the pool there's a ramp that leads to a viewing area that looks out onto Manila Bay. There are seats here and this is a very good spot for sitting and enjoying the sunset. There was a beautiful sunset every single day of our stay in Manila.

Manila Bay.

Manila Bay.

After our swim, we headed back upstairs to the fifteenth floor. I realized there was a great view of the bay from one side of the lounge and a great view of Intramuros from the other.

Sunset over the bay from the lounge.

Sunset over the bay from the lounge.

Sunset over the bay and pool from the lounge.

We showered and changed and got ready for dinner. There was a good selection of food, including dim sum, pies, kofta, spring rolls and chicken. It was all extremely tasty. I tried a slice of Manila Hotel Pizza and the Manila Hotel Chamberlain Cocktail. Well, you have to if you are there, don't you? The pizza was topped with black olives and pepperoni. The cocktail was a Manila Hotel Chamberlain which contains gin, lime juice and soda. The hotel's website claims this cocktail: "has been the centrepiece of countless stories and friendships." We both totally adored the fresh, crispy poppadoms which were in plentiful supply.

Fish and potato pies, spring chicken.

Kofta, spring rolls.

Fancy dimsum.

Manila Hotel Chamberlain cocktail.

Peter with a Black Russian cocktail.

And with a more usual drink.

Peter in the lounge on our second night.

Us at dinner.

After dinner Peter went to the room and I went to explore more of the hotel. I was allowed to wander into The Red Jade Restaurant for a look. It was beautiful in there.

The Red Jade Restaurant.

At the entrance to The Red Jade Restaurant.

Inside The Red Jade Restaurant.

Inside The Red Jade Restaurant.

Inside The Red Jade Restaurant.

I visited the pool which was lit up beautifully at night. It was open till 10 pm.

The pool at night.

The pool at night.

The hotel viewed across the pool at night.

The bar in the pool at night.

Selfie near the pool.

I encountered the hotel's mascot, Wily the bear, who was the centrepiece of a Chinese New Year display in front of the hotel entrance.

Wily the bear.

There was a smaller Wily the bear in a display case of hotel memorabilia.

Hotel memorabilia.

There were shops selling hotel souvenirs, such as Manila Hotel cookies.

Chinese display outside the shop.

Manila cookies in the hotel shop.

The rich and famous seemed to be here to party. I've never seen such fancy clothes. As I mentioned before Manila is a city of extremes.

Elegant ladies in elegant dresses.

Elegant ladies in elegant dresses.

A rather dapper couple.

Even just wandering around the hotel's old fashioned corridors was fun.

Hotel corridor.

Hotel corridor.

Hotel corridor.

I went outside the front entrance of the hotel to photograph it at night.

The Manila Hotel at night.

The Manila Hotel at night.

The Heritage Museum was closed and a sign told me I could get a concierge to show me it if I came there before seven pm. It was already after that time, but I came back for the tour the next day.

Just outside The Heritage Museum there was a model of The Manila Hotel. My guide stopped here to tell me all about the history of the building and its design.

Model of The Manila Hotel.

She then unlocked The Heritage Museum. There were lots of photos of famous guests. There were photos of the original rooms and photos of the hotel after it had been destroyed in the war.

Old photographs in the museum.

Old photos of the hotel.

Destruction after the war.

Photos of famous guests.

Photos of famous guests. One is a young Rod Stewart.

There was a model of an aeroplane that was sent from The USA to Manila after the war, carrying a single letter from the Americans to The Filipinos declaring the Americans continuing feelings of friendship towards the Filipino people.

The plane that brought the letter.

There were several items from The MacArthur Suite such as General MacArthur's chair and his clock. The guide said they were originally left in The MacArthur Suite, but the hotel management became worried in case they got damaged.

The Douglas MacArthur chair.

Douglas Macarthur. "I shall return."

There were lots of old ornaments and books.

Old decorations from the hotel.

Old things from the hotel.

That clock once stood in The MacArthur Suite.

We slept well, though the hotel was noisy due to nonstop traffic. In fact, apart from choosing the hotel due to its long history, I had chosen it for its proximity to Intramuros and Rizal Park. After booking it though, I found lots of information saying the roads around the hotel were uncrossable. Next day I would find out if this was true or not.